Unions confirm dumfries and galloway scottish water workers to strike for a week

THE WALK OUT WILL BEGIN ON JUNE 2 AFTER OFFICIALS ACCUSED THE UTILITY COMPANY OF 'PLAYING GAMES' OVER A PAY OFFER. 09:10, 22 May 2025 Unions have confirmed Scottish Water workers

in Dumfries and Galloway will stage a seven day strike. The week-long walkout will begin on June 2 after officials accused the utility company of “playing games” over a pay offer. Scottish

Water bosses say the deal on the table is above inflation and have urged unions to let staff have their say. Strikes earlier this month were called off as a new pay offer was due to be

tabled, although last week the Unite union revealed no new formal pay offer had been made. READ MORE: Dumfries shoppers encouraged to have their say on £17 million Sainsbury's plansREAD

MORE: Teenage paddleboarder treated for hypothermia after being rescued off Scottish coast And on Friday, talks involving the Unite, Unison and GMB Scotland unions and Scottish Water at

dispute resolution service Acas failed to resolve the matter. The unions claimed the latest offer was not as good as a previous one and therefore workers will strike between June 2 and June

8. Unison Scotland regional manager, Simon Macfarlane, said on Friday: “Unions are bitterly disappointed with today’s talks. After eleven months of fruitless negotiations, there seemed to be

some progress. But making staff an inferior offer to the one previously proposed is just playing games. Each union will consult its members on this latest offer, but the company should be

clear that strike action is back on next month. Article continues below “The people of Scotland deserve better. Scottish Water workers want to be out in communities providing a world-class

water system at a time when the dry weather is putting the service under strain. But instead they’re having to fight to get fair pay.” GMB Scotland organiser, Claire Greer, added: “An offer

was on the table in a bid to resolve this ongoing dispute and it is now clear that it was utterly disingenuous. "Once again Scottish Water has absolutely shattered employee relations

and has completely misread the situation. Management’s ability to play games with unions and employees is staggering. A second offer that Scottish Water has scattered to the winds has left

us with no option other than to continue with industrial action.” A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “These pay negotiations have been going on for 11 months. In that time, Scottish Water

has made seven offers. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. “Our new proposal would see an average pay increase of around seven per cent over two years, comfortably

above inflation. Article continues below “We have also included a minimum increase in each year, which, when combined, comes to £2,775. This means some employees could see their base salary

increase by 11 per cent in that period. "This is a good deal. It balances rewarding our hard-working people with investing customers’ money sensibly. It is now time for the joint trade

unions to put the details to their members in a ballot so that our people can get these above-inflation pay increases. "Our employees have told us that they want this concluded so that

they get their pay increases. We believe the offer we have made today can achieve this.”